Furniture construction



Jan. 3, 1967 BROWN I 3,295,891

' FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 10, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR F g- 1 BY Jerry A. Brown fla M ATTORNEYS Jan. 3, 1967 J. A. BROWN 3,295,891

FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 10, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet z nvvm Tole.

Y Jerry A. 8 row United States Patent 3,295,891 FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION Jerry A. Brown, Columbus, Ind., assignor to Hamilton Cosco, Inc., Columbus, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Nov. 10, 1965, Ser. No. 507,215 8 Claims, (Cl. 297-452) This invention relates to a furniture construction and more particularly to the construction of a back rest, seat, or the like for an article of furniture.

It is an object of the invention to provide such a back rest, seat, or the like which can be quickly and easily assembled, which will retain a covering thereon, which can be easily connected to other furniture components, which will be comfortable to the user, and which will be of attractive appearance.

In accordance with one form of the invention, as it is embodied in a chair back rest, there is provided a pair of opposed shells each having a central portion terminating at its edges in a peripheral flange generally normal thereto. One of said shells has a plurality of pockets formed therein with their open ends disposed toward the shell periphery. The other of said shells has a plurality of tongues projecting outwardly from its flange received in said pockets for locking the shells together in interfitting relationship. Said one shell has a greater cross-sectional extend than said other shell whereby the flange on said other shell is received within the flange on said one shell. Desirably, a fabric type covering extends over said one shell with its marginal edges bindingly received between the flanges on the pair of shells for thus retaining said covering over said one shell.

Conveniently, the pair of shells are provided with aligned openings in their central portions for the reception of arms or other furniture components for interconnecting the back rest to said arms or other components.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the more detailed description which follows and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a line front elevation of a high chair employing a back rest embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the shells shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 prior to their assembly. For convenience of description, the instant invention is shown and described as embodied in a back rest for an infants high chair. The illustrated chair comprises a plurality of ground-engageable legs supporting a seat 12. A pair of side arms 14 are connected to the upper ends of the legs and are provided with upper stretches 15 supporting a tray 16 and connected to a back rest 18 embodying the invention.

As shown in the drawings, said back rest comprises a pair of interconnected shells 20 and 22 conveniently formed as sheet-metal stampings. The shell 20 has a central portion 23 terminating at its edges in a curved peripheral flange 24 generally normal to the plane of the central portion 23. Pairs of laterally spaced offsets are formed in the central portion 23 adjacent the upper and lower ends thereof to define pairs of pockets 25 each having sidewalls 26 joined to the central portion and interconnected by a backwall 27, and a bottom wall 28. As shown, each of the pockets 25 has its open end disposed toward the adjacent edge of the shell.

The shell 22, which has a smaller cross-sectional area than the shell 20, comprises a central portion 30 terminating at its edges in a curved peripheral flange 32 gen- "ice erally normal to the central portion 30. Pointed tongues 34 project outwardly from the flange 32 in alignment with the pockets 25 in shell 20. To assemble the shells in operative interfitting relationship, the shell 22 is forced against the back face of the shell 20, whereupon the tongues 34 will bend around the curved interconnection between the flange 24 and central portion 23 of shell 20 so that said tongues will enter into the pockets 25 for thus interconnecting the shells. With the shell 20 having a greater cross-sectional extent than the shell 22, the flange 32 will be disposed within the extent of the flange 24 immediately adjacent thereto. As shown in FIG. 2, with the shells in their assembled relationship, the tongues 34, pockets 25, and shell central portions 23 and 38 are disposed in generally parallel planes.

Desirably, a padded covering 36 is mounted on the back rest over the front face of the shell 20 with its marginal edges wrapped around the flange 24. In assembling the shells 20' and 22, the tongues 34 pierce the marginal edges of said covering as they are moved into the pockets 25. With said tongues received in the pockets, the marginal edges of the covering will be bindingly retained between the interfitting flanges 24 and 32 for thus retaining the covering 36 on the back rest. With the covering extending over the front face of the shell 20, all of the interconnections between the shells will be hidden from view to thus enhance the appearance of the back rest.

As shown in FIG. 3, the central portion 23 has a pair of offset areas 38, offset rearwardly toward the central portion 30 of the shell 22. The areas 38 are in horizontal alignment with each other adjacent the opposite edges of the central portion 23. A pair of aligned openings 40 are formed in the central portions 23 and 30 within the extent of each of the areas 38 for the reception of the flattened ends 41 of the arm stretches 15. The arm stretches 15 are curved inwardly, as at 42, to lie against the back face of the shell 20 to permit their ends 41 to be received in the openings 40 against the front faces of the areas 38 between the shell 20 and covering 36 for thus interconnecting the arms to the back rest.

Desirably, openings 45- are formed in the shell 22 adjacent the margins thereof and are disposed in alignment with apertured bosses 46 formed in the areas 38. As shown, the openings 45 and bosses 46 are disposed immediately adjacent the openings 40, and are adapted to receive screws 47 or other fastening elements extending through the arm structure 15 for further interconnecting the arms to the back rest should such additional interconnection be desired.

While the invention has been described as being embodied in a back rest, it is to be understood, of course, that it can be employed in the manufacture of seats, arm rests, and like furniture components. It is to be further understood, of course, that the structure illustrated in FIG. 3 is adapted for connecting various furniture components other than chair arms to the invention.

I claim:

1. In a furniture construction for a back rest, seat, or the like, first and second opposed shells each having a central portion terminating at its edges in a peripheral flange generally normal thereto, a plurality of pockets in the central portion of said first shell having their open ends disposed toward the periphery of said first shell, and a plurality of tongues projecting outwardly from the flange on said second shell received in said pockets for locking said shells together in interfitting relationship, said first shell having a greater cross-sectional extent than said second shell whereby the flange on said second shell is received Within the flange on said first shell.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in which said pocket and tongues are in planes generally parallel to the planes of said central portions. 7 V

3. The invention as set forth in claim 1 with the addition that said shells have aligned openings in their central portions for the connection of additional furniture components thereto.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 3 in which said shells have first sets of aligned openings for the reception of said additional furniture components, and second sets of aligned openings adjacent said first sets for the reception of fastening elements for connecting said additional furniture components to said shells.

5. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in which each of said pockets has a pair of side walls joined to said central portion of the first shell and interconnected by a back wall.

6. In a furniture construction for a back rest, seat, or the like, first and second opposed shells each having a central portion terminating at its edges in a peripheral flange generally normal thereto, a plurality of pockets in the central portion of said first shell having their open ends disposed toward the periphery of said first shell, a plurality of tongues projecting outwardly from the flange on said second shell received in said pockets for locking said shells together in interfitting relationship, said first shell having a greater cross-sectional extent than said second shell whereby the flange on said second shell is 7 received. within the flange on said first shell, and a covering extending over said first shell with its marginal edges bindingly retained between the flanges on said shells.

7. The invention as set forth in claim 6 in which said tongues extend through the marginal edges of said covering.

8. The invention as set forth in claim 6 in which the central portion of said first shell has a pair of areas offset toward said second shell, and aligned openings are formed in said shell within the extent of said areas for connection of additional furniture components to said shells between said first shell and said covering.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,975,405 10/1934 Pry'ale 297-452 X 1,975,622 10/1934 Schermerhorn 297-448 X 2,284,957 6/1942 Gedris 297 452 2,825,394 3/1958 Hamilton 297 420 FOREIGN PATENTS 559,558 8/1957 Belgium.

FRANK B. SHERRY Primary Examiner.

CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Examiner. 

1. IN A FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION FOR A BACK REST, SEAT, OR THE LIKE, FIRST AND SECOND OPPOSED SHELLS EACH HAVING A CENTRAL PORTION TERMLINATING AT ITS EDGES OF A PERIPHERAL FLANGE GENERALLY NORMAL THERETO, A PLURALITY OF POCKETS IN THE CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID FIRST SHELL HAVING THEIR OPEN ENDS DISPOSED TOWARD THE PERIPHERY OF SAID FIRST SHELL, AND A PLURALITY OF TONGUES PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM THE FLANGE ON SAID SECOND SHELL RECEIVED IN SAID POCKETS FOR LOCKING SAID SHELLS TOGETHER IN INTERFITTING RELATIONSHIP, 